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How to Prepare Your Outdoor Unit for Hurricane Season

Summer in North Carolina tends to fall right in the middle of hurricane season. When a hurricane warning comes, you prepare your house, your car, and your family in case the power goes out or you have to temporarily evacuate your Charlotte home. But do you think about your outdoor air conditioner unit when a hurricane warning is issued? Make sure you know how to prepare your outdoor unit so it can weather the storm during hurricane preparations.

Turn off the Power

Storms often cause electrical surges and power outages. When the electricity surges, it can fry the wiring in your outdoor unit (and your indoor components, too). Shut off the power to your outdoor unit by finding your breaker box and flipping the breaker that supplies the unit. Flipping the breakers that supply your other major appliances isn’t a bad idea, either, to protect them from surge damage, too.

If you have a window unit somewhere in the house, unplug it. Some window units are more securely fastened in the windows than others, so you might need to remove yours from the window until the storm passes.

Cover the Unit

During a heavy storm, winds reach the speeds cars usually take when they’re flying down the highway. That means a lot of debris ends up swirling through the air. Parts of your outdoor unit, like the fan blades, are relatively delicate. Cover the entire unit with a tarp to protect it from dents and other minor damage that flying debris can cause.

Before you turn your unit on again, remove the tarp and inspect the unit for damage. If you think you see something wrong, be sure to call a professional to check it out.

If you have any questions about preparing your HVAC system for hurricane season, we’re here to help. Ross and Witmer’s NATE certified technicians can offer advice on maintaining your outdoor unit and can do any repairs or replacements needed should a hurricane damage your outdoor unit. Call us today at 704-392-6188.